HEALDSBURG, Calif.—Keep in mind how, just a few many years in the past, the Japanese automotive business got here and ate everybody’s lunch? Historical past would not repeat, the aphorism goes, nevertheless it does rhyme. And this time round, the lunch-eating is courtesy of Korea’s automakers.

That is very true with electrical autos. The second-generation EVs from Kia and guardian firm Hyundai had been among the few to get near Tesla-levels of powertrain effectivity. The businesses utilized that information to create E-GMP, a purpose-built 800 V platform for bigger rear- and all-wheel-drive EVs.

The primary automobile to get that powertrain was the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which went straight to the highest of the category after we examined it in late 2021. Right this moment, we drive the Ioniq 5’s cousin, the Kia EV6. If the Ioniq 5 is all pixels and angles, the EV6 begins with an analogous bone construction however drapes it in a a lot curvier crossover physique. Everybody’s tastes differ, so I attempt to not dwell on a automotive’s seems to be, however from some angles the EV6 is a better-looking Lamborghini Urus. And its rear styling undoubtedly jogs my memory of the Aston Martin DBX.

Karim Habib, Kia’s head of design, humored the suggestion. He conceded that, from the rear and for those who squinted, “there are some similarities. However no. For us what was necessary was to make use of the potential of the structure,” he mentioned. “What EV platforms actually enable us is certainly extra freedom, and likewise, I believe, simply normally, there’s an openness for physique varieties which can be possibly not clearly positioned in a single phase or one other. We simply needed to attempt one thing like that.”

The related journalists on the first drive in California had completely different opinions about which type issue greatest describes the EV6. The Kia staffers readily available, nevertheless, had been resolute in calling the EV6 a CUV.

“Having this flat flooring permits you to sit in a extra versatile manner,” Habib defined. “You do not have a very fastened area on your ft or your heels. You may twist, you may slide. Sure, the drawback is it does construct extra peak, however there are some issues that, in return, assist us.” He pointed to the pattern for ever-bigger wheels that make an enormous automotive learn as a smaller one till you rise up shut.

“So the wheel-to-body relationship stays fairly wholesome,” he instructed me. “What turns into a bit extra difficult is that, once you go shorter, you keep excessive. That is why you see so many EVs within the crossover or SUV course, as a result of it simply works.”

E-GMP was all the time meant for bigger autos (Kia has cheaper front-wheel-drive EVs just like the Niro for the precise small-car market). And so the EV6 is larger than you first assume. At 184.3 inches (4,681 mm), the EV6 is a few inches longer than the Ioniq 5, however its 114.2 inches (2,901 mm) wheelbase is barely shorter than its predecessor. (Sure, that is additionally the identical wheelbase as Kia’s a lot bigger Telluride three-row SUV.)

Three powertrains to select from

The EV6’s powertrain format is typical for a battery EV, with a slab of lithium-ion polymer cells between the axles. The entry-level mannequin is the $40,900 (earlier than tax credit) rear-wheel-drive EV6 Gentle. The Gentle’s 58 kWh battery pack powers a 167 hp (125 kW), 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) AC synchronous permanent-magnet motor which, in flip, drives the rear wheels. Curb weight for this model is 4,017 lbs (1,822 kg), of which 816 lbs (370 kg) are from the battery pack.

The Gentle has a spread of 232 miles (373 km). The E-GMP platform can quick cost to 80 % in 18 minutes when related to a 350 kW charger or 63 minutes for those who can solely discover a 50 kW DC charger. (Technically, the smaller pack will not cost at greater than 180 kW however you will must discover a 350 kW-capable charger to see these speeds.) Degree 2 AC charging will take just below six hours at 11 kW.

Kia did not have any EV6 Lights for us to pattern, however we did spend period of time behind the wheel of the opposite two powertrain variants. Each use a 77.4 kWh (gross capability) battery pack. The one-motor RWD configuration sports activities 225 hp (168 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) to realize 310 miles (499 km) of vary. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive association is 320 hp (239 kW) and 446 lb-ft (605 Nm) for a spread of 274 miles (441 km).

As with the less-powerful EV6, these are AC permanent-magnet synchronous motors. The motors can rev to fifteen,000 rpm (versus 11,000 rpm within the Niro) and use sq. copper hairpins and oil cooling. The entrance motor, if fitted, is related to a disconnect gadget so it may be quickly uncoupled from the wheels to forestall drag. To maximise vitality restoration by way of regenerative braking, nevertheless, the motor all the time recouples once you decelerate.

Each motor configurations can be found in both Wind trim ($47,000 for RWD or $50,900 for AWD) or the marginally lighter however sportier-looking GT-Line ($51,200 for RWD, $55,900 for AWD). (All these costs are earlier than tax credit, by the way in which). These EV6s weigh a bit extra—the bigger pack weighs 1,052 lbs (477 kg), so curb weights vary from 4,225-4,661 lbs (1,916-2,114 kg).

Charging instances for the bigger pack are the identical, no matter whether or not it is a single- or dual-motor model. A 350 kW charger (precise max energy: 240 kW) will get you to 80 % in 18 minutes, whereas a 150 kW-rated quick charger does the job in 25 minutes. (Not like many different EVs, the EV6’s platform permits it to quick cost at both 800 V or 400 V. How? The motor and inverter act as a DC-DC converter.) For on a regular basis charging at dwelling or work, count on a full cost in simply over seven hours with an 11 kW (48 A) AC supply.